Katharine Lee Bates - Colorado Springs, CO
Posted by: 
condor1
N 38° 49.823 W 104° 49.391
13S E 515347 N 4297969
A Sculpture Tribute To Katharine Lee Bates Author of “America the Beautiful” - located on the grounds of the Pioneer Museum, just west of the main entrance.
Waymark Code: WM6AWN
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 05/04/2009
Views: 15
The words from America the Beautiful are widely recognized, but not everyone is familiar with Katharine Lee Bates, the author of this famous song. Katharine was born on August 12, 1859, and published seven volumes of poetry throughout her lifetime, most of which were patriotic in nature. She wrote for children and adults, scholars, as well as the general public.
Katharine was educated at Wellesley College and later became full
professor in charge of their English literature department, serving
there from 1886 to her retirement in 1925. During the summer of 1893,
Katharine and several others took a trip out west and she said.....
“One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to the top of Pikes Peak. We hired a prairie wagon. Near the top we had to leave the wagon and go the rest of the way on mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse.”
Upon returning to the Colorado College dormitory where she was staying, Katharine looked over her hastily scribbled notes and wrote the four original stanzas to what later became America the Beautiful. The only payment Miss Bates ever received for her hymn was a small check from a weekly journal “The Congregationalist”, for publishing the piece on July 4, 1895.
Katharine’s intense love for her country has been passed on to all
Americans. Although she rewrote some sections, it has remained the same since 1904 when part of the third stanza was altered. Prior to this time the author received criticism for the word “beautiful” but she refused to change the term since she claimed it best described America. Miss Bates retained the copyright to insure there would be no misprints or deliberate changes of her beloved hymn and it has remained the same ever since then.
For those that don't remember the words....
“America the Beautiful”
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine!
O Beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
This sculpture was created by Omaha artist John Lajba.